Sit To Stand Desks

Although evidence is forever evolving and can be conflicting at times regarding this topic, it’s well known that sitting for prolonged periods can be damaging to our health, even if exercise is a part of our daily life. Many positives result from sitting less and being active, reducing the risks of chronic diseases and developing musculoskeletal disorders.

The Heart Foundation highlights the benefits of implementing a strategy that focuses on reducing sitting periods, encourages movement and is combined with regular exercise. Additionally, supplementary research has concluded the following:

• Changes in posture effectively reduce discomfort in the body, back, lower limb, and upper limb.
• Workers that undertake an average of 3.6 adjustments or 23 minutes of standing a day reported a 62% decrease in discomfort. These workers also reported more than half the rate of injury and illness.
• Using adjustable sit/stand work stations showed to increase productivity. This is due to decreased work breaks taken to undertake the traditional time away from the desk to achieve a standing break.

Modelling behaviour is a great tool to help engage your workers in a new initiative. A standing friendly culture is best promoted when managers and supervisors partake in the activity. Other great tips to help you or your workers to stay active in the working environment:

• Take the stairs instead of lifts
• Use sit to stand desks
• Use separately located bins and /printers
• Walk to a colleagues desk instead of phoning or emailing
• Have standing meetings
• Eat your lunch away from your desk
• Stand at the back of the room during presentations.

Before investing in a sit to stand, it is important to consider it’s functional capacity/usability. A sit to stand desk will be more positively received if:

• A minimum number of individual steps required for the operation of the controls
• The ability to make the adjustments rapidly
• Keeping the adjustment mechanism close to the keying position

Not sure if your workstation is ergonomically friendly? Our professional team of OT’s, Physios and EP’s will provide you with the right advice to ensure your working environment suits you. 

Our services are available nationwide. For more information about our services contact us.

Our consultants love to have a chat, so go ahead and give us a call on 1300 OHS RTW (647 789) or email enquiries@rrp.com.au